This application is based on application No. 10-299887 filed in Japan, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus capable of reading image data from an original, storing the read image data, and repeatedly reading out and printing the stored image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been known image forming apparatuses (such as copying machines, printers, facsimiles and combined machines thereof) capable of reading image data from an original and storing the read image data once.
In such image formation apparatuses, an operation of reading image data and an operation of printing the read image data can be performed independently. Further, image data which was once printed and then stored can be read out and printed. It is therefore unnecessary to repeatedly read the same image data. The operation of reading out and printing stored image data again in this manner is called memory recall.
In the conventional image formation apparatuses, however, the memories are filled soon by storing of image data, which makes it impossible to read originals.
The present invention was made to solve the above described problem, and its object is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of efficiently storing image data.
In order to accomplish the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus printing input image data includes a print unit printing the image data, a memory storing the image data, and a controller determining whether or not to store the input image data based on a criterion concerning the image data, storing the input image data in the memory according to the determination result, and reading out the image data stored in the memory and indicating the print unit to print the image data if necessary.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus printing input image data includes a print unit printing the image data, a memory storing the image data, and a controller indicating the print unit to print the image data, determining whether or not to store the input image data based on a criterion concerning the image data, storing the input image data in the memory according to the determination result, and reading out the image data stored in the memory and indicating the print unit to print the image data if necessary.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of processing input image data includes the steps of determining whether or not to store the input image data based on a criterion concerning the input image data, storing the input image data according to the determination result, and reading out and printing the stored image data if necessary.